Eminem, Houdini | Song Review 🎵

Provocative Academy/Grammy award-winning rapper Eminem brings nostalgia to his single “Houdini,” with entertaining and polarizing results.

“So, how many little kids still wanna act like me / I’m a bigger prick than cacti be.” Eminem hasn’t changed, has he? In his single, “Houdini”, he proves he’s still a big-time provocateur.  You know that “Houdini” is going to be a trip when that Paul Rosenberg skit kicks things off (“Hey Em, it’s Paul / Uh, I was listening to the album / Good fucking luck, you’re on your own”). The song’s intro and playful sound recall the Eminem of the past (“Guess who’s back, back again? / Shady’s back, tell a friend”). “Houdini” was produced by Eminem and Louis Resto. Notably, it samples “Abracadabra” by Steve Miller Band which Miller praised.  So, how does “Houdini” stack up? It has its moments but it’s also POLARIZING.

Many of the Eminem-isms are firmly intact. His flow is agile.  Also, he serves up his signature melodic vocals.  The instrumental is interesting, but the draw – both praise and ire – is the bars.  Em’s rhymes are bold and unapologetic. Among the shadiest moments references Megan Thee Stallion, unfavorably: “If I was to ask for Megan Thee / Stallion if she would collab with me / Would I really have a shot at a feat?” Damn, Eminem! In the second verse, he asserts, “My shit may not be age appropri- / Ate but I will hit an eight-year-old in the face with a participation trophy.” The Houdini references arrive during the chorus: “Abra-abracadabra / (And for my last trick) I’m ‘bout to reach in my bag, bruh / Abra-abracadabra / (And for my last trick) (poof) Just like that and I’m back, bro.” He’s back alright, and controversial as ever.  His far-reaching controversies continue in the bridge, where he spits, “Sometimes I wonder what the old me’d say / … He’d probably say that everything is gay.” In the third and final verse, he references R. Kelly, the LGBTQ+ community 🏳️‍🌈 (“My transgender cat’s Siamese”), and, fittingly, Houdini, again (“Like Sherri Papini, Harry Houdini, I vanish into thin air as I’m leaving”). “Houdini” marks a polarizing return for the 51-year-old rapper.  It has its fair share of entertaining moments, but, is Eminem trying too hard to shock?

Eminem // “Houdini” // Shady / Aftermath / Interscope // 5.31.24

[📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Shady / Aftermath / Interscope; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Królestwo Nauki, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pete Linforth, Tumisu from Pixabay]